Improvement in driers for coffee, cocoa



'NITED STATES PATENT i QFFIGE.

SAMUEL BEAVEN, OF SAN PAULO, BRAZIL.

IMPROVEMENT IN DRIERS FOR COFFEE, COCOA, 80C.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,794, dated November12, 1878 application filed October 14, 1878.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL BEAVEN, of San Paulo, in Brazil, haveinvented a new Improved Drier for Coffee, Cocoa, Malt, Grain, Tea,Sugar, 820., of which the following is a specification My inventionconsists in a hollow vertical cylinder, having a number of foraminoustrays placed one above the other, upon which the material is placed todry. Each tray consists of two disks having openings, one disk beingfixed and the other fitted to turn, whereby the openings are closed toretain the material or opened to permit it to pass through. The materialis stirred by means of revolving rakes fitted upon a central revolvingshaft that is turned by connections with suitable power. The drying iseffected by means of heated air forced upward through the apparatus by apressure-blower, the air being heated by pass ing it through thejacketed space of a furnace, and the amount of air, as well as itstemperature, are regulated by plugs and valves.

The invention also consists in certain details of construction,hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is an elevation of my apparatus atthe front side.

2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is avertical section. Fig. 4 is a sectionalplan on line at m of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation with the furnacein section, and Fig.6 is a cross-section of one of the rakes.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the drier, of which a is the cylinder, preferably of metal,standing vertically upon supports, which permit removal of the materialfrom beneath it when it is discharged, as hereinafter described.

The cylinder at is fitted with a series of horizontal trays, B, more orless in number according to the size of the cylinder a, upon which traysthe material to be dried is placed. Each of the trays B consists of afixed circular disk, I), and a second disk, a, resting upon I), andfitting loosely upon the central vertical shaft d, that is stepped at ein thebottom of cylinder at, and is supported above cylinder a by abridge-tree, f.

The disks 1) and 0 have radial openings 9 at equal distances apart,which may be closed by turning disk 0 until the solid portions of onedisk register with the openings in the other disk, or opened by turningdisk 0 until the openings 9 coincide. Each disk 0 is formed with aprojection, h, which passes through a slit, t, in the side of cylindera, and serves as a handle to turn the disk 0.

The solid portions of disks 0 are perforated with numerous small holes,and, if desired, the disk I) may be similarly pierced.

The bottom of cylinder a is provided with openings 9, similarly to disks1), and a revolving disk, 0, similar to 0, except that it is notperforated.

The shaft d has fixed upon its upper end a pinion, k, that meshes with aworm-shaft, l, which is fitted horizontally in the standards m, andcarries a pulley, a, for the connection of suitable power for revolvingshaft 0?. -Above each tray B is a horizontal arm, 0, projecting fromshaft '61, and carrying rakes 19,

that move over the surface of trays B'as shaft d revolves and stir thematerial which may be 011 the trays. .These rakes p may be of anydesired character, either as rigid arms, as shown'at 1), turned at anangle to throw the material to or from the center, or as curved arms q(see'Fi'g. 6) upon an arbor fitted to turn in a'bearing, g, and also toturn horizontally with a pin, q, in the arm 0, so as to obtain acompound motion of the rake. I 7

The heated air for drying the material on trays B is admitted by a pipe,4', through the side of cylinder at, as shown, or through the bottom.

0 is the furnace for heating the air to the desired temperature, whichfurnace is shown as placed in a horizontal position at one side of thedrier; but it may stand vertically.

s is the fire-box of the furnace; t, the smokepipe; at, the door forsupplying fuel, and c the door of the ash-pit. This furnace issurrounded by a jacket, to, that also covers a portion of smoke-pipe t,and forming an air-space.

y. is a pipe from the jacket aroundpipe t, leading to pipe r, which piper also communicates with the jacket w around the furnace.

r is a damper in pipe 7', and y is a damper in covers smoke-pipe t,which pipe a is for supplying air from a blower, (not shown,) and avalve or damper (not shown) will be placed in pipe a to regulate thequantity of air admitted.

By connecting the pipe at at the point shown the cold air first comes incontact with the pipe t, and is finally heated to the highest point bythe furnace, thus economizing all the heat, and also permitting the useof air of low or high temperature, the air taken by pipe y beingslightly heated, while the air taken directly from the space around thefurnace is heated to a high point. The dampers r and y permit theregulation of the blast, so that it may be taken in either manner.

In using the above-described apparatus for cofl'ee, I use air heated toa temperature of from 120 to 160 Fahrenheit as being most advantageousfor the purpose. It is possible to use a higher degree of heat withoutaffecting the aromatic qualities of the berry; but there will, in thatcase, be danger of rendering the coifee too dry by extracting to muchmoisture, it being necessary to retain about thirteen per cent. ofmoisture in the berry.

By my apparatus, using air heated to the proper point, fermentation,germination, and decay are prevented or arrested, and the heat can beregulated according to the condition and quality of the coifee.

The fresh or green coffee is first placed on the upper tray, B, andafter remaining there about half an hour the disk 0 will be opened topermit the charge to fall to the second tray, and a fresh charge is puton the upper tray, and the operation continued until the first charge isdischarged at the openings 9, when all the trays will be charged. Thedischarge will then be made at regular intervals and in succession fromone tray to the other. By this means the berries that are green arefirst subjected to the mildest heat, the air being tempered by itsprevious passage through the trays below, while the more completelydried coffee is acted upon by the less humid air at a highertemperature, necessary to extract the moisture from the center of theberry.

I insert in openings in the sides of cylindera, above each tray B, asmall piece of glass, as seen at I), through which the operation may beobserved, and I also place thermometers in the side of at to indicatethe temperature. There is to be a connection from the jacketed spacearound the furnace, leading beneath or over the fire, for the purpose ofgiving a blast to the fire when necessary.

The above-described apparatus is especially designed for drying coffee,and has been described in that connection, because the proper drying ofcoffee presents more difficulties than most other substances. Theapparatus may, however, be used for drying other substances, such ashops, grain, fruit, &c.; and with some substances the rakes may not beneeded.

I claim- 1. The combination of ajacketed furnace, a blower, and a drier,the latter being provided with two air-supply pipes, the one connectedto the furnace near to and the other remote from the body of the stove,whereby hot air of different temperatures may be forced into the drier,as shown and described.

2. A drier provided with horizontal foraininous trays B, consisting ofone fixed and one loose disk, arranged to operate as and for the purposespecified.

3. The combination, with the drying apparatus A and jacketed furnace G,of the pipes 1' and 3/ and dampers r 3 arranged substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

4. In combination with the cylinder at of a drying apparatus, theforaminous trays B, con sisting of a fixed disk, I), and loose disk 0,provided with openings g, and arranged for operation substantially asand for the purposes described.

Signed this 4th day of November, 1877.

SAMUEL BEAVEN.

In presence of- RICHAR GRAY, ALLEN BAGGOTT.

